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that is only 5% or 6% of the deficit. when it comes to defense spending the only reason i would vote for this deal if sequestration is not included is trusting people like dianne to work with me to make sure it never becomes a reality post january 1. >> chris: even if you get the automatic cuts which are $110 billion or $120 billion in the first year even if you get those the deal that you are talking about does not reduce our national debt because extending the bush tax cuts on 98%, 99% of americans it will actually increase the debt by trillions of dollars over the next decade. the question is when are you guys going to get serious about spending? >> we are getting serious about spending. we already cut spending between the c.r. and the affordable care act. we cut spending a trillion dollars plus. how to there is an argument over how much but let's say it is a trillion and a half dollars. having said that, i think there is a commitment to cut spending. if you do it by virtue of sequestration it falls regardless of prior
that is only 5% or 6% of the deficit. when it comes to defense spending the only reason i would vote for this deal if sequestration is not included is trusting people like dianne to work with me to make sure it never becomes a reality post january 1. >> chris: even if you get the automatic cuts which are $110 billion or $120 billion in the first year even if you get those the deal that you are talking about does not reduce our national debt because extending the bush tax cuts on 98%, 99%...
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we don't have a short-term deficit problem. we have a jobs and growth problem and we have a faltering recovery. we should put off the sequester. put off this grand bargain. come back. let the bush tax cuts expire. make sure the middle class doesn't have to pavement the schif a manufactured media drama. >> laura: wow, can you say out of touch? joining us now from new york is maxwell a democratic strategist and guy benson the political editor for "town hall.com." okay. this is quite something. we have been hearing from the obama white house, the congressional budgetffice and any number of conservative economistst that this is serious. that we have got to get this thing done that we have got to get it in order. or at some point america's full faith and credit is going to go away. we are not going to look so good to the rest of the world as far as credit risk. so let's talk to you about this. is this a manufactured media crisis or does something substantial need to be done here? >> well, i certainly think that the fiscal cliff, tha
we don't have a short-term deficit problem. we have a jobs and growth problem and we have a faltering recovery. we should put off the sequester. put off this grand bargain. come back. let the bush tax cuts expire. make sure the middle class doesn't have to pavement the schif a manufactured media drama. >> laura: wow, can you say out of touch? joining us now from new york is maxwell a democratic strategist and guy benson the political editor for "town hall.com." okay. this is...
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none of us want tax increases but at the end of the day trillion dollars deficits are bad, too. trillion dollars deficits every year as far as the eye can see, that's a tax on our kids, our grandchildren, on people who have saved their whole lives and done the responsible things. trillion dollars deficits are a tax, too, and that's what we have to understand. >> it's not good leadership to pass the buck, especially on future generations. they don't deserve to pay for our problems ander responsibility. what do you think is the biggest problem with raising taxes on the wealthy? it's so easy for them to say raise the taxes on the rich, punish them? >> well, the president likes to say the rich needs to pay their fair share for the tax burden of the united states. the funny thing is, actually 23 you look at all the developed countries in the world, the u.s. tax code is the most progressive in the entire world. the wealthiest americans pay the largest share of the tax burden in the u.s., much more so than in european countries. >> the boehner plan b and the some of the things the pres
none of us want tax increases but at the end of the day trillion dollars deficits are bad, too. trillion dollars deficits every year as far as the eye can see, that's a tax on our kids, our grandchildren, on people who have saved their whole lives and done the responsible things. trillion dollars deficits are a tax, too, and that's what we have to understand. >> it's not good leadership to pass the buck, especially on future generations. they don't deserve to pay for our problems ander...
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are you going to pay down the deficit? if you are going to use it for more government spending we don't want a part of it. senator mcconnell on the republican side seemed to get frustrated because he felt like the democrats were slow walking the th, 18 hours without a response. mcconnell made a call to a well known senator, joe biden to see if he could help. >> we're willing to work with whoever can help. no single issue remains an impossible sticking point. a sticking point appears to be a willingness and interest or frankly the courage to close the deal. >> reporter: as senate aide says it was designed to try to jumpstart the talks and consequences of getting a tax increase is a huge concern. >> gregg: what went awry in these talks? >> you heard senator thune. a fiscal cliff deal is a new way calculating inflation that would lower social security payments. democrats say they would do it as part of much bigger deal but it was off the table for the smaller deal they are working on. so democrats called it a poison pill. >>
are you going to pay down the deficit? if you are going to use it for more government spending we don't want a part of it. senator mcconnell on the republican side seemed to get frustrated because he felt like the democrats were slow walking the th, 18 hours without a response. mcconnell made a call to a well known senator, joe biden to see if he could help. >> we're willing to work with whoever can help. no single issue remains an impossible sticking point. a sticking point appears to be...
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we need cuts and deal with the deficit. you have can't do this in a way to do in a sudden flash. >> juan -- >> juan: hold on. excuse me. do you think republicans have no complicity in passing two wars without funding them? and passing prescription drugs, no funding -- >> andrea: last time i checked a majority of democrats voted if for war. >> juan: republicans voted for this as well is all my point. >> andrea: entitlement, they're not miles apart? >> juan: they're not. >> andrea: what is the plan. >> juan: put on the table change the cpi and change the rate of growth. >> what table? >> eric: slow the rate of growth is not a cut. >> juan: it is. >> eric: it's not. >> juan: even boehner says it's a cut. the left thinks it's a cut. secondly, the president has -- go up to 400 if you want. so what we are talking about is a cut for 99% of americans. they keep tax cuts. you think republicans would celebrate. >> drinking the kool-aid. >> eric: i agree with you that the republicans are no better in this debate. >> juan: oh, well the
we need cuts and deal with the deficit. you have can't do this in a way to do in a sudden flash. >> juan -- >> juan: hold on. excuse me. do you think republicans have no complicity in passing two wars without funding them? and passing prescription drugs, no funding -- >> andrea: last time i checked a majority of democrats voted if for war. >> juan: republicans voted for this as well is all my point. >> andrea: entitlement, they're not miles apart? >> juan:...
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we hear politicians talk about deficits and debt all the time. >> debt,. >> deficit. >> deaf. debt. >> how they can get it to slow down or tick back the other way continues to be the challenge. but first, where we have been. >> let's look at debt through history. the amount we owe has ebbed and flowed. our country's habit of spending more than it takes in is nothing new. while wree currently at the highest level of debt our country has seen, 1835 saw the lowest recorded debt at just $34,000 under president andrew jackson. it was an unsuccessful assassination attempt on him that year. in 1865 a president that did parish from such an attack, president abraham lincoln over saw a debt of $3 billion. fast-forward to black tuesday in 1929. the most devastating stock market crash in the history of the united states. our national debt rose to $17 billion then. then came world war ii, a very expensive one. and by d-day in 1945 our debt ballooned to $259 billion, a quarter of a trillion dollars. and then to more recent times. the 2008 financial crisis. the amount of our debt our country
we hear politicians talk about deficits and debt all the time. >> debt,. >> deficit. >> deaf. debt. >> how they can get it to slow down or tick back the other way continues to be the challenge. but first, where we have been. >> let's look at debt through history. the amount we owe has ebbed and flowed. our country's habit of spending more than it takes in is nothing new. while wree currently at the highest level of debt our country has seen, 1835 saw the lowest...
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everybody says we need to have cuts and deal with the deficit. but you can't do it in such a way that you do it in a sudden flash -- >> sudden flash! >> and it causes the economy to crater. >> it's been four years and so many meetings. >> excuse me, do you think republicans have no complicity in passing two wars without funding it. >> democrats voted for the war in iraq, including hillary clinton, if you want to go there. >> republicans voted for this. my point -- >> entitlements. you said hayare not miles apart. >> they're not! >> what's the plan on entitlements. >> the president has put on the table, the chain cpi to slow the rate of growth -- >> slow the rate of growth is not a cut, juan! >> it is a cut! >> even john boehner says that's a cut. the left thinks that's a cut -- >> no plan. there are no plans. >> let's go up to $400, if you want. so what we're talking about, eric, is a cut for 99% of americans. they keep the bush tax cuts. you would think republicans would be seb berating. >> juan's drinking the kool-aid, man. >> i agree that the
everybody says we need to have cuts and deal with the deficit. but you can't do it in such a way that you do it in a sudden flash -- >> sudden flash! >> and it causes the economy to crater. >> it's been four years and so many meetings. >> excuse me, do you think republicans have no complicity in passing two wars without funding it. >> democrats voted for the war in iraq, including hillary clinton, if you want to go there. >> republicans voted for this. my...
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you were a member of the bowles mpson deficit commission and voted for the final report. that proposed almost $3 trillion in spending cuts. president obama's last offer the one that the republicans rejected was less than $1 trillion in spending cuts. we checked. that would be less than 2% of the $44 trillion the government will spend over the next decade. again, is that the best democrats can do? 2% of all of the spending over the next decade? >> you know, this conversation to me is exactly what is wrong in washington. i mean just listen to the conversation you have is just had. it is he said, she said, blame the other guy. look, i tried to be constructive here and lay out an actual plan to get us nearly $4 trillion by taking the offers that are on the table. speaker boehner and the president were so close and then speaker boehner went off on plan b. i never understood why. had no prospect of succeeding. it did not succeed even in his own caucus. now, the question. >> chris: but you are not answering my question. >> because i tell you something because we only have nine d
you were a member of the bowles mpson deficit commission and voted for the final report. that proposed almost $3 trillion in spending cuts. president obama's last offer the one that the republicans rejected was less than $1 trillion in spending cuts. we checked. that would be less than 2% of the $44 trillion the government will spend over the next decade. again, is that the best democrats can do? 2% of all of the spending over the next decade? >> you know, this conversation to me is...
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everybody says we need to have cuts and deal with the deficit. but you can't do it in such a way that you do it in a sudden flash -- >> sudden flash! >> and it causes the economy to crater. >> it's been four years and so many meetings. >> excuse me, do you think republicans have no complicity in passing two wars without funding it. >> democrats voted for the war in iraq, including hillary clinton, if you want to go there. >> republicans voted for this. my point -- >> entitlements. you said hayare not miles apart. >> they're not! >> what's the plan on entitlements. >> the president has put on the table, the chain cpi to slow the rate of growth -- >> slow the rate of growth is not a cut, juan! >> it is a cut! >> even john boehner says that's a cut. the left thinks that's a cut -- >> no plan. there are no plans. >> let's go up to $400, if you want. so what we're talking about, eric, is a cut for 99% of americans. they keep the bush tax cuts. you would think republicans would be seb berating. >> juan's drinking the kool-aid, man. >> i agree that the
everybody says we need to have cuts and deal with the deficit. but you can't do it in such a way that you do it in a sudden flash -- >> sudden flash! >> and it causes the economy to crater. >> it's been four years and so many meetings. >> excuse me, do you think republicans have no complicity in passing two wars without funding it. >> democrats voted for the war in iraq, including hillary clinton, if you want to go there. >> republicans voted for this. my...
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still looking at trillion-dollar deficit. that just goes to show spending cuts. right now we don't have them. talks about them and there is accounting fuzzy math going on but there is not any serious entitlement reform. we can't just wait and talk about that in january. needs to be included in any package before we go forward. >> you know, juan, the point she is making when we talk about spending cuts. basically a guy pulling the olives off a meat lover's pizza and saying he is on a diet. something so incidental and ignoring this huge huge problem this black hole that is spending. it's true. we are going nowhere. >> no, i disagree. you know what? >> you like picking the olives off. that's you and spending cuts. >> not only that i like it when the an chofs because then getting lot of antioxidants with my pizza and i feel good about eating the pizza even though i'm bloated. when you look at the reality. alice says the president hasn't put any spending on the table. wrong, the president has left wing face furious with him, alice, because he said we will will put the
still looking at trillion-dollar deficit. that just goes to show spending cuts. right now we don't have them. talks about them and there is accounting fuzzy math going on but there is not any serious entitlement reform. we can't just wait and talk about that in january. needs to be included in any package before we go forward. >> you know, juan, the point she is making when we talk about spending cuts. basically a guy pulling the olives off a meat lover's pizza and saying he is on a diet....
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this is it the largest deficit reduction in history. >> president bush. >> american families have to balance their budgets and so should the government. >> and president. >> ever day families sacrifice to live in their means and they deserve a government to do the same. >> boehner insists that the president is singing a different tune. >> it is clear that the president is not serious about cutting speppeding, but speppeding is the problem. >> you can hear the talking heads every day and back and forth every day. but have you tried to get your head around how much the government doles out every day. what is the basic math we have the problem. >> in the month of november. the government brought in five billion worth of revenue . we spend more than 11 billion a day. the difference as you can clearly see is roughly six billion dollars. so how can we keep speppeding more than we take in? the econist said we can't. the government spends more than 11 billion a day. where does thity of the money g. top four outlays. department of health and human services that goes through three billion of t
this is it the largest deficit reduction in history. >> president bush. >> american families have to balance their budgets and so should the government. >> and president. >> ever day families sacrifice to live in their means and they deserve a government to do the same. >> boehner insists that the president is singing a different tune. >> it is clear that the president is not serious about cutting speppeding, but speppeding is the problem. >> you can...
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it ought to be about reducing the deficit and debt. they're suggesting we want new taxes, higher taxes on people in this country to pay for new spending. >> republicans continue saying they're waiting for harry reid to make a counter offer. >> they're not making that tonight. he's told us that's not going to happen it but they're working on it. a sounds like a change of entitlement programs is irritating them. >> republicans created way of calculating inflation to lower payments to recipients of social security. the senate majority leader offered this update a short time ago. >>> i was really gratified to hear republicans took their dammed for social security benefit cuts off the table. they should never have been on the table. there's still significant distance between the sides but negotiations continue. there's still time left and we intend to continue negotiations. >> senator mitch mcconnell says there was no single issue that remains an impossible sticking point. all that's is needed he says is a willingness, interest, or courage
it ought to be about reducing the deficit and debt. they're suggesting we want new taxes, higher taxes on people in this country to pay for new spending. >> republicans continue saying they're waiting for harry reid to make a counter offer. >> they're not making that tonight. he's told us that's not going to happen it but they're working on it. a sounds like a change of entitlement programs is irritating them. >> republicans created way of calculating inflation to lower...
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we have a trillion dollars in deficit spending last four years. president says let's go back to the clinton levels of taxation. if we went back to the clinton levels of taxation we're still double the highest bush era of deficit spending still because spending was accelerated so much in 2009 and 2010. we're trying to bring the spending levels back down. on the contrary if we just brought the spending levels down to the clinton level spending instead of tax level going up to clinton level of tax it is would solve this. we're trying to solve the debt and deficit. we're trying to say how do we get out of debt. the president is saying let's get past the fiscal cliff and let's keep moving on. that doesn't solve the problem. what solves the problem is reducing spending and get our spending back down so our nation is back in balance again. jon: is it mostly medicare and perhaps social security that are the drivers of the problem in your view? >> it is everything that's on the table. when you look at our discretionary spending, how much that was accelerat
we have a trillion dollars in deficit spending last four years. president says let's go back to the clinton levels of taxation. if we went back to the clinton levels of taxation we're still double the highest bush era of deficit spending still because spending was accelerated so much in 2009 and 2010. we're trying to bring the spending levels back down. on the contrary if we just brought the spending levels down to the clinton level spending instead of tax level going up to clinton level of tax...
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. >> warren buffett could pay off the deficit he wanted to. but it is to be that a deal will happen after january 1. does that make any difference? >> yes, it does. i think some of all this panic is a little bit overwrought. if they don't reach a deal in the next 22 hours or so, then we go into january, and the stakes get so much higher. as you said, people will start feeling immediately the effect of those higher taxes. and that will put the pressure on the congress and president reach a deal. if they don't reach a deal on december 31, which is my prediction, i believe sometime before the end of january, they will reach a deal. but my goodness. one of the things that is frustrating is we have known this day was coming for the last two years. yet here we are, 72 hours away and we don't have a resolution. gregg: this is a contrivance that they are desperately trying to fix. our member the president said in a debate, the debate, he said that i didn't come up with this. then bob woodward came out and said, yes, you did. you know, both a top aide
. >> warren buffett could pay off the deficit he wanted to. but it is to be that a deal will happen after january 1. does that make any difference? >> yes, it does. i think some of all this panic is a little bit overwrought. if they don't reach a deal in the next 22 hours or so, then we go into january, and the stakes get so much higher. as you said, people will start feeling immediately the effect of those higher taxes. and that will put the pressure on the congress and president...
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and so the deficit increased rather than declined. so it went from 220 billion in 1990 to 269 billion in 1991, 290 billion in 1992. i think that's directly relevant today because i think the obama tax increases are more likely to lose revenue rather than to gain revenue. for example -- >> clayton: we know what happened with president george h.w. bush, read my lips, no new tax and ended up going forward with some of those tax increases to part of the negotiation and democrats didn't come forward with entitlement cuts that were enough to actually counteract some of those tax increases. could we be seeing the exact same thing today? >> well, yes. for example, one big tax increase in the obama tax increase package is the capital gains tax rate is going to go up 58% on the higher income taxpayers. and so now in the last 50 years, every time the capital gains tax rate has been raised, capital gains revenues have declined rather than increased. and every time the capital gains tax rate has been cut, capital gains revenues increased rather th
and so the deficit increased rather than declined. so it went from 220 billion in 1990 to 269 billion in 1991, 290 billion in 1992. i think that's directly relevant today because i think the obama tax increases are more likely to lose revenue rather than to gain revenue. for example -- >> clayton: we know what happened with president george h.w. bush, read my lips, no new tax and ended up going forward with some of those tax increases to part of the negotiation and democrats didn't come...
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if, we have to do four things if we want to reduce the deficit. we have to get more revenue, we have to cut domestic spending, we have to trim and reform the health care programs in particular of medicare and medicaid and we have to cut defense. if we do all four of those things we can make significant down payment getting deficit under control. if we do some of them, the numbers are not there enough to make as much progress as we want. this is where mark and i agree. over next six to nine months we could see substantial progress towards smart fiscal policy in the country if the two parties come together. heather: we'll see what happens. thank you both very much for joining us until monday night. thank you. >> merry christmas. happy new year. [heavy breathing]. gregg: boy, remember that, video from april of 2011. monster tornado tearing through tuscaloosa, alabama, devastating the community and alberta baptist church. ever since then the church's pastor has been fighting insurers and fema and the city to try to rebuild. this month, finally some mo
if, we have to do four things if we want to reduce the deficit. we have to get more revenue, we have to cut domestic spending, we have to trim and reform the health care programs in particular of medicare and medicaid and we have to cut defense. if we do all four of those things we can make significant down payment getting deficit under control. if we do some of them, the numbers are not there enough to make as much progress as we want. this is where mark and i agree. over next six to nine...
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and then he says come back and do spending cuts and deficit reduction in the new year. he is telling lawmakers take a few days off. relax over the holidays and maybe we'll all come together. take a listen. >> sing some christmas carols, enjoy the company of loved ones. and then i would ask every member of congress while they are back home to think about that think about the obligations we have to the people who sent us here. think about the hardship that so many americans will endure if congress does nothing at all. >> now, i can hear the helicopters warming up there on the other side of the white house from where i am on the south lawn. the president will be heading to andrew's air force base in a moment. is he going to hawaii tonight. on his way out the door told us "see you next week." which means he will be coming back after christmas before new years to try to work this out with lawmakers. he also suggested maybe they have eggnog over the holiday. maybe he thinks that will grease the skids. >> harris: eat cookies and sing carols for the rest of us across the countr
and then he says come back and do spending cuts and deficit reduction in the new year. he is telling lawmakers take a few days off. relax over the holidays and maybe we'll all come together. take a listen. >> sing some christmas carols, enjoy the company of loved ones. and then i would ask every member of congress while they are back home to think about that think about the obligations we have to the people who sent us here. think about the hardship that so many americans will endure if...
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the tax would have made the rich contribute a whole lot more to cutting public deficit. >> arthel: here at home as senator leaders work behind closed doors to cut an 11th hour deal to avoid the fiscal cliff, we got a glimpse of optimism on the senate floor on friday from majority leader harry reid and minority leader mitch mcconnell following their white house meeting with president obama. here it is. >> everyone knows we've been to the white house. we've had a constructive meeting. we certainly hope that something will positive will come from that. >> i share the view of the majority leader. we had a good meeting at the white house. we are engaged in discussions, the majority leader and myself and the white house in the hopes that we can come forward as early as sunday and have a recommendation that i can make to my conference and the majority leader can make to his conference. >> arthel: so is a fiscal deal more likely now than it was before congress left for christmas break? let's have a meeting of the minds. outreach director for freedom works, author of "backlash" and fox news cont
the tax would have made the rich contribute a whole lot more to cutting public deficit. >> arthel: here at home as senator leaders work behind closed doors to cut an 11th hour deal to avoid the fiscal cliff, we got a glimpse of optimism on the senate floor on friday from majority leader harry reid and minority leader mitch mcconnell following their white house meeting with president obama. here it is. >> everyone knows we've been to the white house. we've had a constructive meeting....
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that millionaires or people who make more than $250,000, you tax them more that's going to solve the deficit problem that's just not so. i think it would be better for the country if we go over the fiscal cliff. and i'm not sorry this has failed. i do not think this has helped john boehner's speakership. >> that quote right there certainly didn't help the president's stance either. if you tax all the people that make more than 250 k that is the solution. >> the cbo didn't help him either with those numbers because $250,000 tax the cbo has said wouldn't solve the problem. >> this barely makes a dent. >> you have to cut spending obviously and that's what we think that howard dean was alluding to. meanwhile, charles krauthammer had an interesting theory on "special report" last night in which he also tried to figure out what the president's ultimate strategy is and what game the president is playing. i had not heard this theory before. let's listen to charles krauthammer. >> if he was only interested in the budget, in the fiscally balancing it, he would have said i don't care how you get the mo
that millionaires or people who make more than $250,000, you tax them more that's going to solve the deficit problem that's just not so. i think it would be better for the country if we go over the fiscal cliff. and i'm not sorry this has failed. i do not think this has helped john boehner's speakership. >> that quote right there certainly didn't help the president's stance either. if you tax all the people that make more than 250 k that is the solution. >> the cbo didn't help him...
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. >> for the last two weeks i've been working with leaders of both parties on a proposal to get our deficit under control. avoid tax hikes on the middle class, and to make sure we can spur jobs and economic growth. >> how we get there, god only knows. >> will an agreement bring positive change to the economy? former economic advisor to president reagan, art laffer is here. >> how is everything going? >> going we will on this end. not washington but on this end. there's recap for a second, if you will. the laffer curve that you game famous for. that's your theory on tax rates and revenue and it shows, the laffer curve, if you have a tax rate of zero obviously you correct zero revenue to run the government. if you have a tax rate, your theory holds of 100%, you also probably collect zero in revenue because you've disincentivized people to get to work. somewhere in your curve is the sweet spot of the tax rate that would allow for the most revenue. what is that sweet spot? >> i don't know where it is exactly, obviously. but i know the laffer curve, the operation in the upper income groups is mu
. >> for the last two weeks i've been working with leaders of both parties on a proposal to get our deficit under control. avoid tax hikes on the middle class, and to make sure we can spur jobs and economic growth. >> how we get there, god only knows. >> will an agreement bring positive change to the economy? former economic advisor to president reagan, art laffer is here. >> how is everything going? >> going we will on this end. not washington but on this end....